Designation: D4074/D4074M − 11

Standard Test Method for

Bitumen and Aggregate Content of Bitumen-Aggregate
Mixtures From Roofing Samples1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D4074/D4074M; the number immediately following the designation indicates the
year of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last
reapproval. A superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope coating bitumen and adhered aggregate in roofing samples,

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the bitu-
men content of adhered aggregate surfacing on a roof, and the
approximate mass per unit area of the flood coat and adhered
aggregate.
1.2 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units
are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in
each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each
system shall be used independently of the other. Combining
values from the two systems may result in non-conformance
with the standard.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
bility and regulatory limitations prior to use.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards: 2 D2829.
D71 Test Method for Relative Density of Solid Pitch and
Asphalt (Displacement Method)
D2829 Practice for Sampling and Analysis of Existing
Built-Up Roof Systems
3. Summary of Test Method
3.1 The proportions of bitumen and aggregate in a mixture
are determined from their relative densities and the relative
density of their mixture.
4. Significance and Use
4.1 This test method offers a convenient alternative to
solvent extraction for the approximate determination of top-
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D08 on Roofing
and Waterproofing and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D08.20 on
Roofing Membrane Systems.
Current edition approved May 1, 2011. Published June 2011. Originally
approved in 1985. Last previous edition approved in 2004 as D4074 – 91 (2004).
DOI: 10.1520/D4074_D4074M-11.
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
the ASTM website.
particularly when the bitumen is coal tar pitch.
5. Apparatus
5.1 Beaker, 500-mL minimum capacity, without a pour
spout.3
5.2 Glass Cover Plate, 127 by 127 by 3 mm [5 by 5 by 0.12
in.].
5.3 Balance, 1000 6 0.1-g capacity.
6. Materials
6.1 Isopropyl Alcohol, (CH3)2 CHOH, commercial grade.
6.2 Paper Cups, paraffin-coated, 61 mm [2.4 in.] in diam-
eter by 76 in. [3 mm] high, 150-mL [5-oz] capacity.
7. Sampling
7.1 Obtain samples in the field in accordance with Practice
8. Procedure
8.1 Cut a 100-mm [55⁄8-in.] square specimen from the
roofing sample and collect any associated loose, bitumen-free
aggregate in a tared paper cup.
8.2 Add additional loose, bitumen-free aggregate to the cup
from the remaining sample, if necessary, to obtain a 100 to
200-g specimen of the aggregate. Weigh the aggregate to the
nearest 0.1 g and record as Ma.
8.3 Place the roofing specimen on aluminum foil or release
paper and carefully remove the adhered aggregate and top
coating with a hot knife or scraper without damaging the top
felt.
NOTE 1—This will usually leave 200 to 400 g/m2 [4 to 8 lb/100 ft2] of
bitumen on the surface of the roofing felt.
3
The sole source of supply of the beaker, Kimble Chase, part #14020–600
Kimax 600 mL without spout, known to the committee at this time is Fisher
Scientific, 1022 Spruce St., P.O. Box 1502, Vineland, NJ 08362–1502. If you are
aware of alternative suppliers, please provide this information to ASTM Interna-
tional Headquarters. Your comments will receive careful consideration at a meeting
of the responsible technical committee,1 which you may attend.

Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States

1
 D4074/D4074M − 11
8.4 Collect the adhered aggregate and top coating removed
in 8.3 in a tared paper cup and add any associated loose,
bitumen-coated aggregate. Weigh to the nearest 0.1 g and
record as Mm.
8.5 Overfill the clean 500-mL beaker with isopropyl alcohol
and carefully slide the glass cover plate over the top so as to
exclude air. Blot the excess alcohol from the exterior of the
beaker. Weigh the assembly to the nearest 0.1 g and record as
T.
8.6 Remove the glass cover plate and place the aggregate
specimen from 8.2 in the beaker. Again, overfill the beaker
with alcohol, and carefully replace the cover plate. Blot the
excess alcohol from the exterior of the beaker. Weigh the
assembly to the nearest 0.1 g and record as Wa.
8.7 Discard the contents of the beaker and rinse with
alcohol. Place the adhered aggregate and top coating specimen
from 8.4 in the beaker. Overfill with alcohol, replace the cover
plate, and blot the exterior as before. Weigh the assembly to the
nearest 0.1 g and record as Wm.
8.8 Recover a 10 to 20-g specimen of the top coating
bitumen from the remaining roofing sample. Prepare cast cubes
and weigh them suspended in air and suspended in isopropyl
alcohol in accordance with Sections 8 and 9 of Test Method
D71, using alcohol in place of water. Record the weight in air
as a, and the weight in alcohol as b.
NOTE 2—If a clean aggregate or bitumen sample cannot be obtained,
use relative densities of 3.36 for gravel, 3.18 for slag, 1.30 for asphalt, and
1.65 for coal-tar pitch.
9. Calculation
9.1 Calculate the relative density of the aggregate (Sa) as
follows:
S a 5 M a / ~ T1M a 2 W a !
where:
Ma = weight of the aggregate in air, g,
T = weight of the covered beaker filled with alcohol, g, and
Wa = weight of the covered beaker containing the aggregate
and filled with alcohol, g.
9.2 Calculate the relative density of the aggregate-bitumen
mixture (Sm) as follows:
S m 5 M m / ~ T1M m 2 W m !
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where:
Mm = weight of the mixture in air, g,
T = weight of the covered beaker filled with alcohol, g,
and
Wm = weight of the covered beaker containing the mixture
and filled with alcohol, g.
9.3 Calculate the relative density of the bitumen (Sb) as
follows:
S b 5 a/ ~ a 2 b ! (3)
where:
a = weight of the bitumen cube in air, g, and
b = weight of the bitumen cube in alcohol, g.
9.4 Calculate the bitumen fraction of the mixture (p) as
follows:
p 5 S b ~ S a 2 S m ! /S m ~ S a 2 S b ! (4)
9.5 Calculate the approximate mass of top coating bitumen
(B) as follows:
B 5 pMm (5)
9.6 Calculate the mass of adhered aggregate (A) as follows:
A 5 Mm 2 B (6)
10. Report
10.1 Report the approximate mass per unit area of bitumen.
If the 100 by 100-mm specimen was used, multiply B by 100
to get g/m2. If the 55⁄8 by 55⁄8-in. specimen was used, B
expressed in grams is numerically equivalent to lb/100 ft2.
10.2 Report the approximate mass per unit area of aggre-
gate. If the 100 by 100-mm specimen was used, multiply A by
100 to get g/m2. If the 55⁄8 by 55⁄8-in. specimen was used, A
expressed in grams is numerically equivalent to lb/100 ft2.
10.3 Report the type of bitumen and aggregate if known.
(1)
11. Precision and Bias
11.1 The precision of this test method indicates the probable
error of a single determination is 61.4 % of the true value.
Duplicate samples should not differ by more than 2 % between
laboratories.
11.2 There are no known biases in this test method.
12. Keywords
12.1 aggregate; asphalt; bitumen; built-up roofing; coal-tar
(2) pitch

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